Megacorporations

September 06, 2024

Megacorporations

Megacorporations are simply staggering in size, and as such the organizations are so large that no one person can know everything which are central to their dealings at a given moment. The total shares of stock, annual profits, number of employees are all astronomical. Their brands, trade names, and service marks have come to be universally recognized throughout both the Imperium and Federation.

Many organizations are so large that different divisions of the same megacorporation may actually be working at cross purposes for brief periods. In most systems, megacorporations (or Megacorps) just make a footprint, typically owning only the land their installations are on. However in some sectors they control entire planets, either directly or indirectly.

Governance & Organization

Typically megacorporations use a hegemonic form (power structure) of governance. They are sometimes called "corporate technocracies" and use an oligarchic power source, generally composed of a board of directors. Exceptions to this common organization structure do exist.

Most megacorporations are organized very much like smaller companies, with a board of directors, a president, and vice presidents. However, the board and the higher-level executive officers of the company are largely out of contact with the day-to-day (or even year-to-year) functioning of the company. These upper level executives serve to plan general policy and long-distance actions.

The most important executives, in terms of personal power, are the various regional managers. A regional manager may control only a small portion of a megacorporation's total assets, but many hold more power in some regions than the representatives of the Imperial or Federal government.

Adherence to Laws

Provided they do not blatantly violate Imperial or Federation sovereignty, regional managers can usually conduct their company's business as they see fit. A small number of Imperial/Federation regulatory agencies have power over megacorporations, and these companies are subject to local taxes. A direct confrontation with either the Imperium or Federation would be bad for business, so intentional violation of Imperial/Federation laws is done only on a covert basis.

Number and Products

Only a very few commercial enterprises grow large enough to extend their activities to every corner of the Imperium and Federation. There are fourteen megacorporations within the known galaxy. It is difficult for a company to grow to the size of a megacorporation unless it has the protection of suitably-sized governments. For just about any product or technology all Megacorps are involved in their development, manufacture, and distribution. However typically four to six megacorporations are major competitors for any given particular product while others are (relatively) minor suppliers for that good.

The 14 megacorporations in known space are: